[Kentbox]

Hi, I'm, new to the forums, but need help diagnosing a problem with my wifes car. It's a 1991 Civic Limited Edition Sedan. I believe it's a DX (?). Anyway, it began becoming difficult to start, but now the car wants to stall out every now and then. It usually does this when you give it gas, whether its from a dead stop or while moving. When I drove it, it coughs and sputters a bit, then seems to "catch" and function normally. The problem seems to be getting worse day by day. I followed her one day and when it sputtered to stall, then "caught" a small but noticeable puff of black smoke (I'm assuming fuel) puffs out of the tailpipe. I replaced the fuel filter, but no luck. No CEL, so no codes, and I'm assuming / hoping its not a major issue. Is there any way to find out what this is before spending a load of cash? Thanks.

 

[VTECsqznN2O]

There is a long ass list of things it could be. Could be in the distributor and could also be fuel pump..usually the fuel pump isnt intermittent like this so I'd lean towards something in the dizzy..could jsut be a bad cap and rotr..could be bad coil..or it could be the pickups in the dizzy

 

[CapnToll]

x 2.

It could also be further up from the dizzy, with issues in spark. The spark (or lack thereof could be leaving unburnt fuel (weak spark, lack of spark, wide spark plug gap, bad wires etc) which you see as black smoke through the pipe.

 

[Kentbox]

Ok, went out today and got new plugs, plug wires, and a distributor cap & rotor kit. Figured I'd start from the plugs and work my way to the Distributor. Started from the right and worked left changing the plug. When I pulled the wires out of the 3rd and 4th chambers, they were covered with engine oil. Got as much as I could out by dipping the wire terminals in and out until it came out clean ,then changed the plugs. Car runs fine now. I know its obviosuly not a good thing to have oil in the spark plug chambers. Is this just a valve cover gasket fix, or am I looking at a much larger problem?

 

[CapnToll]

Should just be gaskets. It's probably the rubber grommets for the spark plug tube holes. Check those.

 

[VTECsqznN2O]

Should just be gaskets. It's probably the rubber grommets for the spark plug tube holes. Check those.

:nod..thats exactly what it is

 

[96HALX]

i had the same problem man, but i didn't think to dip the oil out first, it was smoking horribly for about 15 mins after i started it back up, so good call on the dipping it out. (mine didn't have any issues like ure describing though, i wonder why that is?)